Beyond the boundaries V2
by All that is good51
Summary: What happens when Gensokyo started to do something... different? No, it's not a Moriya shrine conspiracy. No, it's not the attack of the Scarlet Devils, no it is not the uprising of Old Hell. Then, what is it? Ah, it's when they started to let themselves known by people outside of the boundaries. Rated M just to be safe. This is the remake. See inside for details.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Before I start, I just want to say one thing:**

**Please don't kill me.**

**I know I said that my interest in continuing Beyond the boundaries had gone, but now… after a lot of thinking and inspirations later, I finally decided to take the pen up to write and give this another shot. This will go into a deeper flow, and will make more sense than the first version. Things will change much, though nothing that won't be too hard to notice. I am posting this as Beyond the boundaries V2 because it would be a bother to replace the previous work (Read: Lazy) and readers will not get confused with it. **

**So, to cut things short, please enjoy and don't kill me… yet at least. I have decided to give this another shot, let's see how this will turn out. Oh, this story will contain OOCness so you have been warned, OOCness and OCs. There you go.**

**Anyway, let's proceed.**

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki groaned as he did his paperwork inside his office. Who would have thought that it was so tiring? The blonde haired man with the whisker marks on his cheeks leaned back in his chair and stretched both of his arms above his head. Looking outside the window, he could easily tell that it is about evening already. The rest of his days will be a tiring one even without paperwork. He had just briefed a gennin team with their assignment. A simple C-ranked mission, nothing too hard on the rookies.

A faint smile donned his face as a wave of nostalgia hits him right at the core of his head. He remembered who he was. The short tempered boy who wants nothing but to prove himself to the world. The boy who holds such innocence as much to be considered naïve. He wondered… is he still that little naïve boy today? His smile grew softer, knowing the answer. No. He is far from innocent. The blonde man shifts his head to the right, where he is greeted by the sight of his own picture hanged on the wall. It was taken three days after he became Hokage and he never thought that he was so tall…

It has been six years. Six, long and eventful years after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. It is still a wonder to him on how all the people in the world could survive, even with the power of a man who was considered God by his side. After the way, everything changed. There is no I. There is no longer Nations. There is no longer war. Everything has changed, be it for the better or worse. But for him… it's none. This state that he is, this transient atmosphere that constantly accompanies him, is far from peace.

This is not peace. At least not the peace that he had desired. The peace that he had desired was one with his mentor, with his fellow subordinate. The peace that rivals and rules among all peace. The peace of never ending peace. That is the peace he was searching for. Even he knew that this peace that he has having right now is nothing but a dream. It is not a dream, but think of it as a state of awareness. Like a state where someone experience before being awaken from sleep.

Oh, but it is far from a lie. This peace is merely the result of his hard work. Even so, it is not the peace he was searching for. It is not the peace that he promised to his mentor and comrades. The war was cruel. Thousands of lives was claimed, thousands were lost in the cost of finding his ideals. Every single night it came to haunt him. Was it all worth it? All of the deaths, all of the pain, and all of the lost? Was it all worth it to be resulted with something that is far from what it is that he wants?

The answer is still unknown to him. Because he is not the person to be answering that question.

"Hokage-sama, a person has come to talk to you." Hearing his name being called from the other side of the door would be the last thing he expected to happen today. Regardless, he could not keep a guest enter.

"Send them in." the door swings open slowly, not a single sound was made during this process. The blue eyes of the Fire Shadow rose significantly, showing his silent surprise. The figure on the door is a woman, a woman that he had never seen before in his entire life. From the way she dress, he could already tell that she is not from around here. Or this continent for that matter. She must be from a place outside of the Elemental Nations. The woman before him gave a silent but polite and curt bow, tipping her form slightly so that he could see her form of greeting. She stepped forward, stepping into the ray of light that shines and shows her face.

"Please to meet you, Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto-dono." Her voice is calm and formal and so does her tone. He could tell that it was not from practice, but from experience. The twin yellow orbs that the woman possess glimmers in delight upon seeing his reaction. Which is nothing. She allowed herself to smile in his presence, something that he does not mind in the slightest. "I am Yakumo Ran, an overseer to a place far away from this land. I have come with the intention to benefit both of us."

A silent reply from the Hokage caused her to elaborate further. She resumes her speech. "It has come to my knowledge that there are foreign lands existing outside of my own. And I am sure that you are new to this too. I have come here to formally request an opening of diplomatic relations between our two continents." She paused. "Also, I am allowed to negotiate with economic treaties between us."

"Then what of your continent?" Ran froze. She was not expecting such strong, firm and cold ruling voice from the man. "It would be an inconvenience for the both of us if I do not know the name of your country, no?"

There was a hint of embarrassment on her face. "Gensokyo." She said. "I am here on the behalf of my homeland Gensokyo." Gensokyo…? A rather unique name for a country. The idea itself was brought upon by her master, Yakumo Yukari. She said that there was no need to hide their true identity to their potential allies. Many objected, including one Kamishirasawa Keine, regarding the matter, most says that it would surely be danger in showing the true name of their home. But her master managed to reason, finalizing the decision.

"I see." The blonde haired Hokage nodded. "It certainly would not be a problem for us to discuss such matters soon, especially if my guest has come to a place far away from her home. You will be provided with the living accommodation here for as long as necessary. However, if you would like, we could consider on starting the discussion on the matter starting tomorrow. I am sure that whatever circumstances there is, it would be best if it were your leader who discusses the matter with me instead."

"Yes, most definitely so." she nodded, feeling a little bit relieved. Her master is the one suited for this task, not only will it give her and the Hokage a direct form of communication, it would safe her the trouble of teleporting here and back into Gensokyo.

The Hokage opened his many drawers, pulling out a small scroll, smaller than the ones he have on display on his desk. "In any case, this is a proper invitation to your leader. Whoever he or she might be, please send her my regards. I will be waiting along with my council in order to discuss about our… matters."

Ran nodded. "Thank you very much." She did a formal bow, showing gratitude. "By your leave?"

The sixth Hokage nodded. "My secretary will make the arrangements as to your stay with you. She will be showing you a tour of the village if you want." The youngest Hokage smiled. "I hope that you will enjoy your stay here Konoha."

* * *

Naruto sighed in a tired and exhausted manner. "Tell me, how is she Sasuke?" the Rokudaime sighed out as he calls for his personal guard who is hidden within the many shadows available inside the room. A figure, wearing all black with a little bit of white, emerged from the darkest corner of the room with arms crossed.

"The well-practiced formalities and overly attentiveness of your position… she's different." The dark haired and masked individual drawled out emotionlessly. "She's anything if not suspicious. I'll have my men keep a close eye on her." that was not a suggestion on Sasuke's part. It is his job after all, as the second in command within Konoha's military force. The first in command is obviously the Hokage, and he is the ANBU captain, making him the second one siting in the chain of command.

"You do that, you do that." Naruto stretched his hands upwards, closing his eyes as he felt his neck popping in relief. He then stands on his feet, taking his time to view and satisfy his evening with the sight of his village. "I'm going to go home early, tell me if something is up." He was about to leave, until…

"Aren't you supposed to have these papers signed by today?"

"Urk… just… god damned you bastard."

Sasuke was glad that he didn't end up being the Hokage.

"Hn, just make sure that you finish them." The raven haired prodigy stated. With his arms crossed, he turned his head towards the direction of the window, taking in the view that Naruto was looking at earlier. A sense of regret hit him, just like it always does. "I'm your assistant after all, one of my job is to make sure that you're doing what you're supposed to do." A suitable reasoning from the Uchiha.

"Urgh…" Naruto slump his head down to his table. Hard. The old slab of hardwood that is the table did not even react in the slightest. The thing's hard as steel… "And you are a shinobi under _my_ command." The blonde Hokage brought his head up, giving Sasuke a 'U MAD' expression as he countered. "Can't do anything about that can't you!" the supposedly Hokage of the leaf village childishly point his finger at his black haired counterpart. No, the last thing he wanted to do is to call Sasuke his counterpart. In fact, there is more similarity in them than one could've guess.

The ANBU commander shook his head in an almost disappointed manner. "You beat Kaguya, saved an entire nation from doom and you beat me. Yet you still act like you did when you're twelve…" the Uchiha started to list accomplishments that the boy has done. "You don't know how pained I am to have someone like you as a superior. Officially."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto did not retort to his ex-teammate's statement. Instead, he sit upright and began to reach for his right eye. He blinked three times, before reaching for the eyeball with two fingers, he pulled out what seems to be a contact lens with the same eye color as his blue eyes, along with the white of his eyes. It's rare for somebody to have a contact lens as such. Yet he has it, meaning that he is not just 'somebody'. He is a 'someone', the Hokage of the leaf village.

Sasuke looked at the blonde curiously. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, just itching again… ever since we decided to do _that_ I've been having problems seeing." The blonde answered, still doing whatever it is that he's doing. He pulled out an eye drop from one of his many pockets, applying it to his eye.

"We agreed to it after all, dobe. It's only you who has problems… ever since we did _that_, I can't control my own chakra whenever I'm training. At least you don't bleed from your eye." the Uchiha raised his voice, not intending to accept what the blonde previously said. If one were to see closer, his right eye is a transplant, a replacement. The only way for him to be able to use it is to apply chakra onto it. His left eye changed color, showing a purple eye with rings and 6 commas in it. He removed the contact lens on his right eye, revealing them to be blue. Where else could he get a transplant other than the one who agreed to do it with him?

"I bled from my eye too you bastard." Naruto countered distastefully. "It's just like you have said. We agreed to it. You gave me your eye, I gave you my chakra. We're like two blessed lambs with similar hooves." The blonde shrugged, blinking, trying to get the solution in his eye running. When the contact is removed, his right eye is revealed to be red, instead of purple like Sasuke, with strange ripple like pattern and commas on them, just like the one that Sasuke has with him. Naruto threw the contact lens away, a grim expression on his face. "I am not going to wear that thing, it's uncomfortable. I rather pull of a Kakashi-sensei other than using that blasted thing…"

"Hn, then I better remove the twenty three suppression seals that I have with me," it was truly terrifying to see the Uchiha using sarcasm. He did what he wants, he removed the suppression seal. He could feel his entire body becoming lighter, his chakra pathways flowing smoother than before. "Hn… that's much better."

Seconds later, the two was greeted by the barging of the doors. A woman, dressed in a formal manner, her hair as black as night, a rather… young feature, her short stature supports that previous claim, an urgent expression on her face, and don't forget the stack of papers she's carrying. "W-W-What was that!? I felt a massive burst of chakra, so massive that I felt it from outside the village!" she shouted, almost demandingly. Almost because she'll demand in a second. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" There we go.

The two male was not even shocked that someone has just barged into the Hokage's office. It's obvious because the two men know who this person is. The first one to react out of the two male is the blonde Hokage, who waved his hand dismissingly at the petite woman. "Nothing's wrong Kotori-chan, just the bastard here taking off his entire suppression seal." He revealed like it was nothing. It is something. Something important.

The now identified as Kotori shrieked in terror. Nothing came out good when these two 'figures' are involved. Well she might have exaggerated that. Mainly because she is the only one who is left to clean up after the mess that these two made. She slammed her tiny fist on the table, shaking it. Surprising, since the one who did it is a person as small as her. "Hokage-sama, Uchiha-dono, please show some restrain with your abilities! I'm sure the Kazekage himself felt that uncharacteristic burst of chakra just now!"

eIt was then Sasuke's turn to reply. He subtly shrugged both shoulders, turning his face to the wall, not wanting to face Kotori. "Hn. If half of the dobe's chakra managed to get the Kazekage's attention, you should've been there when he contains all of it…"

"Mah, mah… no need to let Kotori-chan in on the past Sasu-teme," Naruto waved his hand almost trademarkly at the Uchiha. In all seriousness, he really don't want anyone to know what he could do with all of his chakra. He was nearly fined when he destroy a landscape in Iwa. Damned leeches… "Sasu-teme was just trying something out, no need to be so hard on him." his manner of speech caused the last Uchiha to twitch in annoyance.

"Still! You could have done that someplace else! I was sure that the village is on lockdown right now!"

"That, you can blame him." the Hokage snickered as he pointed at Sasuke. Seeing the bastard getting chewed off by Kotori is always a blessing.

"Hn." The Uchiha rolled his heterochromic eyes. "Nothing happened. And besides, they can't lock the village down with the dobe's or my permission." True. Being second in command means that his opinion matters in rough situations. Naruto had personally told him that he has all rights when it comes to the decision making, but he rightfully decline. Of course, much to the blonde's dejection. Sasuke made a ripple appear in the air, he then shoved his hand inside, grabbing something of an interest. The item was soon revealed to be a white porcelain mask with the visage of a fox printed on it. He placed the mask on his face, completely covering it.

"I'm going to go and do what we agreed on." He is no doubt talking about Ran. He opened the window, sliding it and placing his foot on the edge before jumping out, landing on a nearby roof and jumping to the next. Soon his figure is gone, just like any other ANBU out there, Sasuke is skilled.

"Use the fucking door teme!" Naruto shouted at the fleeing ANBU, but his statement falls on deaf ears. The Uzumaki sighed, wondering if this job had been eating away his age bit by bit. "Is it too early for me to be saying that I'm too old for this shit?" he asked his second assistant, hopefully. As expected, all he got was a huff and the crossing of arms. She's still mad at him, great. When he decided to talk, things got serious. "So how is our newest guest?"

Kotori did not need to take another second to reply. "If you're thinking of doing what it is that I'm thinking you'll do, I'm afraid that I must disagree on that." She said smoothly. Naruto has to admit, he can't hide anything from this girl. "Hokage-sama, spying on an ambassador for a foreign continent would be the last thing we want. I know that Uchiha-dono's men are skilled to not get caught, but it's just uncustomary."

She gave him a valid argument. Naruto sighed and stretched his arms upwards before returning them to the table's surface. "I know you would say that… but I can't just leave a matter like this unattended. It's just too… sudden." Kotori kept silent in understanding. "It's too sudden no matter how you see it. We know that there are other continents out there, one that has different culture than ours, but Ran Yakumo did not look like she came from some continent that I know of."

True. He had done a number of travelling in his younger days. The Crescent Moon kingdom, the place where Temujin hailed from… these is strange lands. But they had the same thing in common, war. He don't know where Ran came from, she said that she will tell her master of the invitation that he gave her. He just hope that things will go smoothly, if he were to speak with whoever it is that is interested in creating this 'beneficial' relationship.

"Indeed…" the female secretary nodded, somewhat agreeing with her Hokage. "But it would not hurt to speak more about this matter with your shinobi council." Naruto definitely noticed the emphasizing of the word 'shinobi'. She wants him to discuss this matter with the shinobi council instead of his civilians… that is a good idea.

The Hokage nodded, taking up her suggestion. "Hm… okay then. Kotori, summon the council for me in the next one hour." He stood from his seat, popping his neck as he did so. "I'll need to see my favorite girl." A sly bright grin appeared on his face.

The young secretary smiled. "Hai, hai… you go and pick her up. And remember, don't overfeed her ramen." That last of statement came out as a joke instead of a warning. It is no secret that the Rokudaime Hokage of the leaf is addicted to ramen. After all, he did declared that everyone should at least consume ramen once in a week at time he was revered as Hokage.

The grin did not disappear from his face. "Heh, knowing who she is related to, that's impossible." He winked to the secretary, emitting a small blush from her. "I'll see you in an hour Kotori-chan." He pulled out a three pronged kunai, and then he disappeared in an orange flash, leaving the woman alone in the room.

.

.

.

"Wait! Who's going to do all of this paperwork!?"

Thank God for Hiraishin…

* * *

"Thank you for going through all the troubles of showing me around the village, Kotori-san." The blonde haired Ran Yakumo bowed in gratitude at the woman in front of her. She really is grateful. Doing sightseeing around the village has certainly made her even more aware of the people living her. Her personal opinions aside, she can already tell that these people here are not like normal people.

She has seen what the people called Shinobis. In fact, she knows that she was being followed by some a moment ago. Now, she can still feel them, but they are hiding their presence rather well. The woman in front of her nodded, smiling. "It was my pleasure, Yakumo-san. It is also my job after all." She explained. "If there is anything that you wish to consult with, please don't hesitate to search for me in the tower."

"Yes, of course."

The door to her temporary living place was closed. As soon as it was closed, Ran released a heavy sigh. Her tour was brief, almost over in an instant. The secretary only showed her some of the most noticeable and important place and landmarks in the village. There is the village's academy, where children learn and are prepared for their shinobi life. Her personal thoughts aside, the thought of having children being trained to fight and battle is not something she would find appropriate. Especially, since they are humans.

Next are some of the training grounds. They are places where shinobi could train and practice, there is also a personal training ground used by the Hokage himself, but sadly, she was only informed about it. There are more than just the ones that she was shown, she was only shown three of them. The thought of knowing that there is a place where these shinobis could train privately impressed her.

But now is not the time to be impressed any longer. She needs to do her task. Ran stepped away from the door, before making sure that she locked it. She closed the window folds, keeping her from prying eyes. She raised her hand to a chest's level, lifting only her middle and pointer finger while folding the others.

Wordlessly, a tear of seam appeared on the air in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere. It opened fully, revealing a dark, void and deep space filled with nothing but eyes. Ran sighed, feeling relieved that she had done her second part of her task. She lowered her hand, preparing herself to do her third part of her task. And that is…

To report back to her master.

* * *

It was all too familiar for her. The sound of the gentle summer wind, the slight nick of air shifting through the vents and window… she felt it all. Supposedly, she is able to see. Supposedly. But she can't. It's because she is blind. She can't see the world, at least not anymore. Even more, her memories when her eyes are functioning weren't that memorable after all, she can't recall it.

She was very young when she was still able to see. A few years give or take. She is now ten, an age where she will soon step into her teenage years. Though she knows that she won't have the same style of experience like the other teenagers and kids out there, she is blind after all. But the thought never disturbs her. She is sad, yes, but no longer so.

She always finds a blessing in everything. There are blessings in grief, there are blessings in pain, and there are most certainly blessings in happiness. She was taught to smile even when time is hard. People thought that time has always been rough on her, but truthfully, it hasn't. She finds her current condition to be misfortunate, but she never wallows in her misfortune. Instead, she always thinks that there is bright side to it.

Perhaps it is those kinds of thoughts that have supported and made her strong until today. Of course, it is not only optimism that has supported her. There are her friends and her father.

"How are you, Kohana?"

Her head rose at the mentioning of her name. She knows that voice all too well. Too well. She reached her hand, doing what other blind people would do when they are trying to check something out. Her hands then felt a familiar frame, a frame of a face. She could feel the sharp outline and sturdy chin, the soft yet rigid hair with bangs overflowing from the sides. She can feel the familiar outline of nose, even mouth.

A small smile painted her face, her pale blue eyes glinted beneath the mist of blindness. "I'm fine, Otou-sama." She replied with a calm voice, yet it holds a serene emotion within it.

She could feel her father's smile turning into a small frown. She giggled, knowing the reason for her father's change of expression. "Hehe… I'm sorry, it's just so funny knowing what kind of face that you'll make… daddy."

The smile that she felt earlier reappeared on her father's face. She felt a pair of warm hands embracing her, folding and hugging her by the neck. She was buried into her father's shoulders, making her feel the warm embrace given to her by the man. She could hear him sigh, almost all too comfortable.

"Haah… hey, are you sure that you don't want to see?" he asked her. This is a question that is she is familiar with. Why? Because this question was asked to her many times, not just by her father. Her father could give her a new pair of eyes, and she would be able to see again. But, she refuses.

"No… I'm fine like this." She answered, replying to her father's question. Again, she returned the ever so familiar question with an ever so familiar answer.

She let go of her father's face and hug, returning and resting her back on the bed's headboard. She didn't need to see to know the frown that is now present on her father's face. It was always like this. Whenever her father would ask her this question, he would always make the same face. Again, she does not need to see to know what kind of face her dad was making.

"Okay… but remember, just say it and you will see in no time, okay?" her father's cheerful side seeped off, something that he is known greatly for.

She giggled, nodding her head at the same time. "Yes, I will daddy."

If she could see, she would see the lone tear that slipped down her father's eye. He made an effort to wipe it, but more came out. Still, he managed to keep his smile. Because he promised her that he will always smile even if she can't see him doing so. One more time, he embraced his daughter into a soft yet powerful hug, careful on not hurting her.

"Daddy loves you and daddy will always be there for you." She knew this. "Daddy will get stronger and stronger each day so that he could protect you even more. " She knew this too. "Daddy won't give up even it if means getting my entire body crushed in order to see you." She knew this too. "And… daddy will become a better father for you." She knew this too.

"I know, I know, I know and I know." She replied to his promises softly, uttering it just like a whisper. "I know you love me and that you will always be there for me. I know that you will get stronger to protect me, I know that you won't give up even if it means getting your entire body crushed, and I know that you'll become an even better father than what you are now."

She hugs the man in front of her tighter. "I love you too daddy." She hugs even tighter, tighter than before. "I love you so much, and I love mom too…"

The mentioning of 'mom' brought a sad pang of both guilt and sorrow into the man's heart. He stood under his daughter's embrace wordlessly, not saying anything. As a father, it is painful to see your daughter in such conditions. But it is even more painful to know that you will be raising your child on your own. A child who lost their mother is the same as losing ninety percent of the source of their love.

That is why he is acting as both a father and mother for his daughter. It is hard. He has to admit it, is hard. It is even harder than saving the world from destruction. It's a responsibility that he will keep on doing and develop, even if times are hard and he is in doubt, it only takes the face of his daughter to keep him on the right track.

They say children are the perfect example of purity. But he knew that it is wrong. Children, no matter how innocent and good they are, are tainted by their father's sin. It is an inheritance that no men can break. He has no power to break that cycle, he has no authority. If he could, then he is no human.

If he could, then, he is God.

But, he is not God. So there is nothing he can do except to find an alternative to this condition. He once believed that life is broad, while it is indeed broad, it is also distant. If a bird were to fly so high up in the sky, it will die. And if a fish were to swim in a pond that is so small, it will die too. That is why there is this line, border, boundary in between them that makes all things perfect as it seems, that makes things good within people's eyes…

Whatever that thing is, he never knows. Probably he isn't even worthy to know.

He released his daughter from the hug, a content smile pasted on his face. He leaned down to plant a soft and warm kiss on her forehead. He leaned backwards, drawing space between him and his daughter. "I'm going to make dinner, what would you like?"

His daughter gave him a grin identical to his usual one. "Do you even have to ask?"

He returned her grin with his own. "Then Ramen it is."

* * *

"Yukari-sama, I have returned."

Inside a dark and poorly lit room, stood two women of similar height. One of them is dressed in a purple dress with short frilled sleeves, a long skirt that reached down to her ankles, and a beautiful golden hair tied to a single bun. She also wears a pink puffy hat, the color of her eyes are deep purple, increasing the exoticness this woman is giving off.

Her delicate, long and slim fingers traced upon the window in front of her. She felt the cold and smooth sensation of glass underneath her touch. It's raining in Gensokyo. And when it rains, it rains for days. Still, it is nothing worth worrying about. She retracted her fingers and hand from the glass surface, turning her attention at the other woman.

Her purple eyes blinked, taking in the fact that her servant has returned in an earlier time than expected. Her servant approached her, her steps slow and polite. Then she handed her a sealed scroll. Upon further analysis, there is a red stamp marked on the troll. It has the symbol of fire, signifying that it came directly from the Hokage himself.

The woman, Yukari Yakumo, nonchalantly opens the scroll, tearing off the seal. She then unveils the scroll, taking her time to read it. As she read the scroll, her eyes scanning from paragraph to paragraph, words to words… a small smirk made its way onto her face, changing her expression from calm to diabolic.

Though she has no diabolical thoughts, she has to admit that she is indeed impressed with this Hokage person. She then proceeded to roll the scroll close, placing it inside her person. With a dart of an eye at her servant, she spoke, "Ran, prepare the council."

"Yes Yukari-sama."

It's a new age for Gensokyo… whatever outcomes it might shows, be it good or bad, it is interesting.

* * *

**A/N: So that's it. Leave a suggestion in the comments and don't flame. Actually, you can but I'll ignore it.**

**See you and have a good day/night!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Trouble?"

Tick.

Stopping momentarily from a paper that he was currently checking, Naruto spared a second to face the person in front of him. He, early in the morning, is greeted by a familiar face. The pale and poorly done smile is evident enough to state who this person is. Not to mention the style of clothing, so revealing and risqué even if this person is a male. The blonde Hokage blinked in a stoic manner, taking in the person's appearance. He sighed, setting down the paper and pen he was holding before to the desk. He stretched his hands, lifting them up in the air. Then he began to ease his neck, making several popping sounds.

"Nothing." The youngest Kage muttered to the person's earlier question. He gave the black haired individual a glance, a bored one. The way he smiles is mocking him; he knew it. There's only two things that will make Sai smile. One, ridiculous stuffs and the second one is when he's out looking for unnecessary attention from people. And by unnecessary attention he meant trouble, like, in the form of unintentional insults or so. "I'm not troubled, Sai… just…" Naruto trailed off, finding a more proper way of voicing his feelings. Finding none, he stayed with an original word. "bored. I'm real bored."

And busy to boot. With the coming of a foreign group of people who will be here in the next five hours or so. But he'll worry about that later, he purposely left home early to check on his works. Of course, not before cooking a nice breakfast for his daughter. He has clones at home, so he won't have to worry about his daughter's safety too. Now, he is worried. Not because for himself, but for the person standing in front of his desk. He's not sure if he can keep Sai from getting pummeled to death by Ino who will be arriving here in three, two, o—

"SAAAAAAIIIII!"

…Speak of the woman…

The blonde Hokage pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a sharp migraine coming through. He rests his elbow on the wooden desk's surface, he can't take something like this early in the morning. The door to his office was barged open, it's a miracle that it's not broken to pieces. A small shockwave coursed through the office, the impact was hard yet no damages were done. Well, that's one less thing he doesn't have to worry about. A streak of blonde and purple rushed inside the office, aiming straight for Sai. The poor sod wasn't even given any time to react. Sai was lifted into the air, a strong grip on his collar and he's shaking back and forth in a way that Naruto finds familiar.

"You damned one faced bastard!"

Now that's just mean. And hilarious.

"What are you thinking leaving me alone early in the morning huh?! Do you know how scared I was when I woke up to find the room all empty?! I searched the usual place but you weren't there so I ran here as fast as I can!" Ino, who is shaking the poor man back and forth with her womanly wrath, shouted. "I'll let you sleep on the mat the next time you return you useless lecher of a husband!" Naruto, who was watching the entire ordeal, sighed.

Here it comes…

"I cook food for you, I do chores, I work our shop, and I even did all I can to let daddy allow you to have dinner with us from time to time!" as if she's an unstoppable force, Ino began to speak without breathing. She then gasped for air, panting. "Mou~! I hate you! Don't come back and explode you useless letch!" with tearful eyes, she dropped the man like a ragdoll before barging out of the room, crying out 'Sai is stupid' before fading out into the distance.

The situation cleared, things are silent once again. Naruto, still worried, speaks out. "Uh… you should apologize to her you know." He said.

"No." Sai's steel like reply surprised Naruto a little bit. He knew that Sai is a tease but he never knew that he's like this… "She's cuter like this, so no." okay, now he knew. The black haired painter helps himself off the ground, dusting his clothes. He then drags a chair from the far corner of the room, placing it across the Hokage's desk. He then allows himself to sit on said chair, his face finally getting serious. "In all seriousness… I'm here to talk to you of a matter that is of great importance."

Naruto swear dropped at the formal manner of speech that Sai is using. Coughing, he too begins to get serious. "Okay, speak." He said.

"Regarding our guest, I have important news that must be heard only by you. Yesterday night, I sent out extra patrols around the area that Ran Yakumo is staying at. They returned not too long ago, hence the reason why I am out this early. Anyway, they reported to me before returning to base, saying that Ran Yakumo is nowhere to be found." At this point and revelation, Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Without thinking, I ordered them to double the guards stationed at the Hokage tower, but at that time I was not aware of your presence here."

"So you're saying that Ran is missing and you have no idea for her whereabouts?" Naruto asked.

The man nodded. "Yes. I am afraid so. But the men I sent out weren't able to locate or even find any clue as to her presence here. So I came here to ask of you directly. Did you feel Ran's presence when you were here?"

"No." the blonde Hokage shook his head in negative. "I was busy as soon as I reached here at around four thirty. I didn't sense anyone, much less Ran's presence. I didn't know that you people were here too though…" well, it's given since he wasn't using Sage Mode at that time. He was too busy in his works, maybe that's the cause of his lack of knowledge about this. But still… for an ambassador to be missing at a time like this… this is anything if not suspicious. "Sai, I'll be giving orders from here. I want you to send out ANBU to search Ran Yakumo's room, search for anything private or anything that tells us a little bit about her. I'll still be here until our guest arrives later."

"Understood." Sai stood from his seat, before walking out the door. "Ah, by the way," he then peeked his head back, a blank look on his face. "I have a question." He was given a confused reaction from the Hokage for that. "Aren't you supposed to finish those documents three days ago?" and immediately, Sai barely dodged a kunai that went pass his head.

"Shut up Sai."

Naruto is deep in thought. He was right… something suspicious is at play. He remembered asking Kotori to show Ran around the village, but he's sure that his assistant won't show a guest where all of the important and classified places are. And he asked Ran herself to give the letter to her mistress, or leader, but he's not sure if she sent it via birds. Then how… yesterday, Ran's second day in Konoha, he was visited by the ambassador herself stating that her master will be coming today.

It was just too sudden for him to learn of something that early. He remembered asking her when specifically, but she answered with an excuse saying that she'll contact her master for more clarification. So… that means Ran has a way of communicating with her master in a quick and short period of time, but the question is, how? Ran came from another continent, and he's sure that it's not nearby. Messenger birds won't take two days to reply messages, they'll usually take a week or two depending on the importance of the message. So, it's either Ran's master is treating this matter lightly or she is prepared for all that will transpire in the future.

He was given little time to prepare, but everything was nearly done. He had order Kotori to take care of mostly everything, since she is better at doing things like these instead of him, and all that is left is to wait for the guests' arrival. Naruto never thought that he's going to do one of the most crucial and probably beneficial act in his life… and that is to choose whether to accept the treaty or not. Well, there are other alternatives… he could offer them an alliance with his village instead of the whole nation. The demand was too high in the first place… he couldn't just make a choice like that suddenly.

Feeling tired, the Rokudaime Hokage slumped into his desk, resting his upper body on the desk's surface. "Man… I'm starting to think that I should've not been Hokage…"

This morning is bound to be tiresome. For real.

* * *

**In a land far, far, far, far, far away…**

* * *

Gensokyo.

A land of illusions, a reality hidden beneath an illusion that is so strong that the land itself has become one. That is what most people think, but there are those who knew of its existence. However, there are few to little of them, something that is appreciated by the denizens who lives here. This land is a place that could be considered dangerous and beautiful at the same time.

On the peak of a mountain, a mountain that is surrounded by smaller mountains, inside an oriental designed building to be more specific, is currently being used by the Youkai and human denizens for a conference meeting. It is an uncommon thing, but now that everyone is aware of things, it's already no secret. The leader, holder of this meeting is…

"Settle down people."

Yukari Yakumo, a no doubt famous name that most people, if not all, in Gensokyo know. She is dressed in all her beautiful and breath taking attire which consists of a pink and purple dress, and a pink mob cap with a thin red ribbon tied in the front. Sitting in an elegant manner on one of the many chairs available, she was greeted by silence as per her instruction to the crowds. "Thank you."

"As you all might have known, we are going to be departing for Konohagakure no Sato in the next few hours. I trust that all of you have prepared everything that is necessary for this trip." That was not a question. Though everyone did answer with silence. Yukari took it as a sign of affirmative, she showed it by nodding her head. "Good. Now, let us re-discuss our plan of creating an alliance with the Elemental Nations. First things first, are there any questions?"

Multiple hands were raised at the same time. Yukari took a moment to choose who goes first. "Remilia?" she gestured.

A dignified figure raised her hand, a child like figure yet an aura of absolute surrender surrounds her like air. In her charismatic and elegant pose, she opened open an eye. "Do we have to leave so early? I was just in the middle of supper with my family." A supper, for a vampire like her is actually breakfast for normal Youkais and humans. Though everyone knows that.

"Unfortunately, yes." Yukari answered the eternal young scarlet moon without missing a beat. "By arriving early, we are showing the Hokage that we are well prepared for this situation, this will certainly set up a good impression on us." She stated as a matter of fact. "Besides, tardy actions will do us no good. And also, I can't just gap us directly inside the village."

"And why is that?"

"Silly me." She giggled underneath the cover of her fan. "Perhaps I should rephrase what I've said. I could transport us directly inside the village, but doing so will only startle and gives a rather bad impression for our potential allies." She shrugged slightly, rolling her shoulders. "In any case, I would like all of you to pay attention to this." From under her sleeve, she pulled out a small cylindrical item, later revealing to be a scroll.

"A scroll? What is interesting about it, ze?" a different voice commented from the group of people. All eyes are focused on one named Marisa Kirisame. Taken aback by the amount of attention she's getting, Marisa grew startled. "W-What? I was just asking…" the infamous black-white witch looked away with a small pout while crossing both arms. The witch is a young girl, and as her moniker suggests, she wears a black dress skirt with a white apron over it, complete with a pointy witch's hat.

Yukari giggled. "I'm glad you asked dear Marisa. This is, yes as what Marisa have said, a scroll. But I want you to look closely at this scroll, especially you…" Yukari's eyes flickered to a person sitting furthest away, almost at the corner of the room. "Reimu."

Reimu, hearing her name being called, stopped halfway as she was about to drink from her tea. The famed red-white shrine maiden of paradise sent a small yet sharp glare over to the woman who is leading the meeting. Her cold and indifferent brown hazel eyes seem to be able to pierce through iron, even steel. Reimu, seeing that she can't help but do as what she was suggested, glance and maintain focus on the scroll that is held by Yukari.

"Here."

Yukari gapped the scroll over to Reimu, the shrine maiden caught it with ease. She analyzes the scroll, eyes narrowing while doing so. Reimu turned and flipped the scroll for two times, her eyes still as bored looking as ever. That is until both eyes widen, surprising everyone present. Long gone is the bored and uninterested shrine maiden that everybody know, replaced by a serious and interested individual who is currently checking the scroll as if it's an artifact that is out of this world.

"This scroll…" the brown haired shrine maiden of paradise said out in a whisper. "has seals on it. From the hex and designs… I must say that this is a blood seal." She saw the look of confusion given to her. "Which means that Yukari will need to smear some of her blood on the seal in order to open this scroll. But how…" if the Hokage managed to make this seal, he'll need to gain a DNA sample, Yukari's to be exact. Then—!

"You're right Reimu. The Hokage is one interesting person isn't he?" The famous gap Youkai mused out, her lips stretched to a small smile. She re-gapped the scroll unto her hand, holding it for everyone to see. "This scroll is a scroll that requires s DNA sample, such as blood, saliva and other bodily fluids, in order for it to be opened."

"That doesn't explain much." Remilia said arrogantly. Apparently, she has yet to figure out the point.

"It explains everything." Reimu took the honor once again. "True to what Yukari said. You need blood or other kind of DNA material in order to open this scroll but see this…" she raised a finger. "the Hokage haven't met Yukari." Remilia's eyes go wide, as well as those who figured out just recently.

"Ufufu… very smart Reimu. There is only one possible explanation for this, the Hokage managed to sneak a piece of Ran's hair without her knowing or… he's more than our knowledge." Yukari stated as a matter of fact.

"Still… I don't get how this is related to our discussion and all that." Marisa scratched the back of her head with a confused expression on her face.

"Oh but it is, my dear Marisa." Yukari insisted. "And by that, I mean it. Knowing about the Hokage himself is already like knowing 80% of the entire village. From what I have gathered, the leaf village is ruled by only one person and that is the Hokage. He makes the orders, give them, and even change them in case if he wants to. But, there are feudal Lords who rule over the Nation that Konoha hails from. However, they are of no importance at the moment."

"So you're saying that the Hokage is more important than the feudal Lords themselves?" Marisa concluded.

"Yes my dear. But we will have to face them some time in the future, and that is where Keine-sensei and Rinnosuke-san will come in." Yukari looked over at two particular individual whose names she have called.

Said two people raised their head in awareness of their name being called. One is a woman dressed in a dark blue with white short sleeves, and a red ribbon is tied to the bottom of the collar. As for her physical feature, she has a smooth and feminine face befitting her gender. Her eyes are dark brown and her hair is a beautiful and exotic mix between silver and blue like highlights. The one thing that is iconic about her is definitely the strange looking hat she's wearing.

The other one is a man. He is tall, one could tell even in his seated form. The man's hair is a neat, yet spiked, silver colored tuff. His eyes are colored a rare yellow; over them he wears a pair of glasses. His clothes is a mix between black and blue, they are worn neatly and a small leather satchel is strapped on the front probably as inventory. His face is sharp and angular, it shows just how serious he is in this matter.

"Okay, we have strayed from our main topic for today." Yukari re-gathers everyone's minds to focus. "In four hours we will leave for Konoha." This got everyone tense. Remilia, Reimu, Marisa, Keine and Rinnosuke… they are all expecting this, but did not know that Yukari will take things this quickly. "I will have all of you present here to come with me."

"Surely, you don't expect us come there empty handed aren't you?" Keine asked. She seemed skeptic that the meeting will go well if they hadn't prepared anything. In treaties, usually, the appeasing party will bring an item of appeasement in hopes to propitiate, or indulge.

"No we won't." Yukari answered without missing a beat. "Remember that request I told you a few days back, the request for the Kappas?"

"Ah…" Keine remembered. "So that was for this…? I knew that something is going on..." she muttered. "They should have finished the project, though I'm not sure if it is completely done."

"I see. It's fine then, I could see to that later." Yukari then brought out a book from one of her many gaps. "Now… I want you all to take a look at this book. You should find them in front of you on the table." And indeed, the books are placed right where Yukari said they would be. "This is a small guide about the Elemental Nations, about their structure, hierarchy, backgrounds, history and all other important things. The book has been simplified with the basic and common facts, so it shouldn't be a problem to understand it after a read or two."

Reimu picked the book up and examined it with narrowed eyes. She began scanning through pages, until she stopped at a particular page. "T-The Fourth Great Shinobi Wars…" her whisper was loud enough for everyone to hear, causing all of them to turn on the page where she is at right now.

"Ah, that was an interesting story that one… it even took me more than a few days to even accept the things written there." Yukari stated. "Do please try to grasp the important parts of the book, in the next three hours, I want all of you to be prepared for our departure to Konohagakure no Sato. You don't have to bring anything much, we will leave as soon as we are done. Ran is there, preparing our arrival. We will meet her outside of the borders of the Fire Country… somewhere around The Land of River if I'm not mistaken. Either way, Ran is there preparing the gap by now. But, she will immediately return to the village again to avoid suspicions from the Hokage. After we arrived, we will resume our journey. Now… is there any question?"

None raised their hands. Yukari know the true reason behind that.

"If there's no more, dismiss."

Everyone stood from their seats, each of them began to leave the building they are in through the door that leads outside. All of them were given a task, one is to read the book that was given to them by Yukari, and the other one is to prepare themselves for their departures later. One particular Reimu Hakurei remained in her seat, Marisa Kirisame moved up to her to occupy that vacant seat beside her. She can't just leave a buddy alone now can she?

Yukari notices this and seems to be expecting this kind of action from the both of them. It's like she knows that Reimu will still be here even after the meeting is over. "So, speak you two. I need to do my own preparations." She said.

Reimu crossed both arms, giving the woman a small glance with her detached look. "You're not telling something Yukari."

"Oh my… what makes you say that, Reimu?"

Reimu's stare transformed into a glare. "I may not know what is it that you're not telling, but I swear woman, if this comes biting back in the end…" Reimu was not able to finish her statement. Yukari silenced her by raising a hand. Marisa watched the two interact, and even without thinking much about it, things are going on more than what they're supposed to.

"I assure Reimu, what I'm doing is the best for Gensokyo. Everything will be alright as long as it goes smoothly, and I am here to make sure that it goes that way." The blonde haired Youkai reassured the two girls. "We need help anyways…"

"Then why, why not other people? Why must it be these guys?" Instead of Reimu, it was Marisa who asked.

Yukari was silent for a whole lengthy minute, the two girls can't decided whether she's thinking what to say or whether she's thinking of what stories that would hide the fact behind it all. Suddenly, the gap Youkai pulled out the same book that she distributed to everyone a while ago. "Have you seen humans with the power to rival beings like Youkais in terms of strength? Have you seen humans who could rival the Tengus in terms of speed? Have you seen humans who could rival and Oni's strength?" she began questioning, much to the two girls' confusion.

Yukari was fully aware of the cluelessness in the girls' face. "There are no such humans. The maid is an exception." She excluded a certain somebody. "The thing is, even outside the Great Boundary, humans like those I've mentioned does not exist. It is only this place, the Elemental Nation, where such group of humans exists. Oh do please trust me; I was just as shocked as you two probably are right now when I first learned of their existence. The thing is, Reimu, these are not people from outside the Great Boundary of Gensokyo I'm making friends with. They are an extraordinary race who exists outside of this world."

Marisa grew even more confused. "You mean… they don't come from earth?"

"No my dear. They do live on earth, but—practically speaking—they are not of this dimension, time or even space."

The two humans' eyes widened at the massive revelation that Yukari had just dropped right from the ceiling.

Reimu was the first to react instead of Marisa. "So you're saying that you are going to convince a group of _strangers_ with _incredible powers _to help us with what we are facing right now? Why must you do something as troublesome as this?"

"This is my home, and I will do whatever I can to protect it." Yukari answered Reimu without even missing a single beat. "The outside world—ours—is currently on war, Reimu. The Boundary is strong… but I'm not sure if we could hold up much longer if it will go on like this. We have cases of outsiders, soldiers not to mention, appearing as of late. If there were to be more of them in Gensokyo, there will be a chance of something major happening. I may not know what it is, but we can actually gain something from it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Marisa shook her head while crossing her arms. "Let me get things clear here: first, these people from the Elemental Nations are actually people from outside this world, dimension? Second, with the population of outsiders here in Gensokyo, there will be high chance of something big, whether good or bad, happening? Third, we can actually benefit from this? And fourth, how the hell are we going to it?"

"Silly Marisa. The answer's there already. Remember, our potential allies are military trained professionals. They are more extremely trained than the outsiders, who are mostly soldiers, and will have experience in military field. We could ask them to help us train these men, these outsiders, for our benefit."

"Okay, now you're getting me lost even more." Marisa said. "Why would we need to train these soldiers for our benefit and how so exactly?"

"That," Yukari raised a finger, as well as a small smirk onto her face. "is for me to know and for you to find out later. Now, now. I suggest you girls go along. Don't be late." Yukari shooed them towards the door.

Reimu stood from her seat, leaving for the door without saying a word. Surprised by her friend's action, Marisa followed while calling out the shrine maiden's name. "Hey Reimu wait up!" the two are now outside of the building with the door closed behind them. Wondering, Marisa asked. "So, what're your thoughts on all of this?"

"It's all shady and suspicious no matter how we see it. At first, it seems convincing but when Yukari revealed that last part… I got a feeling that things will get even more bothersome at some point later in the future." The Shrine maiden of paradise said indifferently. She can't fully judge Yukari, because only God knows what is running in that woman's mind. No, maybe God doesn't know. All that she knows is that she will act if Yukari is going too far, but she too knows that it won't be easy stopping the woman.

"Well, why don't we just get ready eh? Don't want to miss this out, especially when we're going to go to a different dimension." The witch said enthusiastically. The thought of going to another dimension is really exciting and she is probably one of the few people who will experience such things once in a lifetime. "Ow!" in the middle of her thoughts, she was hit on the head by Reimu's fist.

"Idiot. It's obvious that Yukari doesn't want you to rant out on that, she wants it to be a secret. Especially, for the people there." And by people, she meant their potential allies. It will be surprising, shocking for them to learn that they come from a different dimension. In all honesty, she was surprised that Yukari was able to do such things in the first place. That woman is a pile of secrets hidden underneath a pile of secrets which location and contents are secret themselves.

Reimu left for home to prepare for that day, over the horizon, she could see the sun rising up from the distance.

* * *

"Waah… that's finally it."

Naruto dropped the pen he has been using from the previous two hours. He slumped back to his chair, all exhausted and sleepy. His eye lids are heavy, not to mention the aching of his head due to the lack of sleep. He glanced outside the window to find sunlight piercing through the blinds. Well, so much for sleeping. He tiredly stood from his seat, stumbling as he did so. He exited his office, planning to get some coffee from the office downstairs.

The Hokage tower isn't just the Hokage's office. There is an administrative office downstairs, a place where new Ninjas can get their registration IDs and also a place for the villagers to talk about their concern. Although it is separated into two division; the ninjas and the civilians section. His assistant, Kotori, handles both of them. Such a useful and dependable girl she is…

He walked down the stairs to the administrative office, his posture showing his current state. So imagine the faces of the employees who are currently having their morning duties. Seeing their Hokage already present in the tower, and is at the administrative department office. Yes, the reaction is obvious. A massive crowd gathered of female workers gather around the sleepy and exhausted man who is just about to grab a good cup of coffee.

"Kyaah! It's Hokage-sama!"

"Naruto-sama!"

Such are the noises produced by the female population in the office. There is only one coffee machine in the tower, and that is in the admin office. He could get one for his office but he just doesn't see the reason to put it there. He doesn't get guests much, well, until now. Grabbing a ceramic cup from the cupboard, he began filling it with coffee from the coffee maker. It's not instant, meaning that the coffee was made by someone else who went to grab coffee earlier.

He sipped a taste from his mug, his eyes widening to find that the taste is different from usual. "Hmm… this is good, who made this?" unconsciously, he asked that question aloud.

"I-I did…." Naruto turned his eyes toward the group of females flocking over him. His gaze landed on a particular woman who happened to be standing in the middle of the small crowd. She is petite, yet taller than a certain feisty assistant of his. Her hair is short, they barely went pass her shoulders, though her bangs cover both of her eyes pretty well, preventing him from taking a look at them. The heterochromic Hokage looked down, seeing that he is superior in height. She is dressed in a black and purple Yukata, totally different from the outfits that he is usually used to.

"You did?" he repeated to make sure. In reply, he received a shy nod from the petite woman. He smiled warmly, leveling himself to her height, bending his knees forward while using his palms as support. The distance between them is closed, drawing their faces closer. "May I ask you a huge favor?" he asked, still smiling.

"Y-Yes!" the woman squeaked out in reply.

"If you could bring me this cup of coffee for me every morning that would be very lovely."

Through her bangs, her face heats up a beautiful pink hue. Shocked, the young woman did not know how to respond to Naruto's statement. All she could do is to stand there, awe stricken. "Y-Y-Yes!"

"Thank you." With a final thank, the Hokage leaves the office with a cup of coffee in hand.

Upon reaching outside of the tower, he was already greeted by a face that he knew too well. "Yo Nii-san!" a distant voice called out to him. Looking forward, the blonde and youngest Hokage was greeted by the walking form of none other than Sarutobi Konohamaru. His lips twisted from their blissful state into a small grin. Seeing the runt, he can't help but see an image of himself. The boy's no longer a boy, just as he was before.

The short brown haired Sarutobi has grown. Well in fact. He is almost as tall as him, probably a head shorter. He is dressed in a green zip up jacket with a blue scarf covering his neck. On his forehead is his Konoha forehead protector, placed there with pride and honor. His lower apparel consists of a long dark green cargo pants and a pair of blue ninja sandals. On his face was a smile that Naruto knew all too well; something that he experienced almost every day.

"Hello brat." He greeted the approaching boy. "Still coming in for missions I see?"

Konohamaru gave his role-model two thumbs up. "You sure I am! I can take on another mission, Nii-san!" enthusiastic yet he is able to prove it by action. Konohamaru is a Tokubetsu-Jonin, meaning that he is a newly promoted Jonin. He haven't get the opportunity to handle a team of gennin just yet, he still have a few more months of solo service before he could do that.

Naruto chuckled warmly. "Then come on in to the mission room, take a mission there. Iruka-sensei will be there to brief you."

"Just like old times eh, Nii-san?"

At Konohamaru's question, Naruto's expression turned soft. He placed a palm over the shorter boy's head, ruffling his hair lightly. "Yeah… just like old times." He retracted his hand back. "Anyway, be sure to return without causing much trouble to the client okay? I don't want getting a complain saying that you tried to do something reckless."

"Maa, maa…" Konohamaru rubbed his nose before scratching the back of his head. "You know how I am Nii-san, can't really stand sitting in a place for too long ya know?"

He knew it all too well. Shaking his head, the youngest Hokage sighed. "What am I gonna do with you brat…" Naruto sighed out still with the smile present on his face. He was returned by a finger pointing at him, said finger belonging to none other than the person standing in front of him. He saw the look, a look that is even more familiar than all the looks that he had seen on the boy's face. Those determination sparkling in his eyes, and that sheer bravado leaking off from his presence.

"Then step down and let me take the seat, I'll show to you that I can be an even better Hokage than you are." There is no cockiness in the boy's statement. Only confidence and strong willpower. A scene flashed before his eyes, when the times where the Third Hokage is still alive and ruling.

Naruto grinned, grabbing the shorter boy in a head lock after setting aside his cup of coffee into Kamui. "You brat, c'mere!" he buried his knuckles onto the boy's head, rubbing them. As the two begin their usual playful encounter, another party joined them.

"Oi! The adult who is actually a kid!" both male turned towards the voice, seemingly to have thought that the remark was addressed towards one of them. In other words… they both know that they are still a kid. They caught sight of a brown haired teenager, female this time. She is dressed in a dark purple short sleeved jacket with grey accents going down the sides. For her lower attire, she wears a pair of lavender pants and also a set of black shinobi sandals.

Konohamaru released himself from the older boy's hold, a sour expression on his face. His mood turned ninety degree just by looking at the girl's face. "What do you want Hanabi?" asked the Sarutobi to the Hyuuga. Said Hyuuga crossed her arms, her pale and pupil-less eyes narrowing.

Hanabi…? She's Hinata's sister! Naruto looked over at the young lady now standing about a few meters from him. She has grown… at least if that's what his memory told him. He remembered Hinata telling him about her whenever they would have a drink along with the others. As for Hinata herself, he's impressed in the massive change in her. It's as if she is an entirely different girl, not the shy and timid girl that he used to know.

The youngest of the main Hyuuga household member took notice of the Hokage. She bowed in respect at the figure in front of her. "Hokage-sama, please forgive me for not noticing you here."

Naruto chuckled heartedly. "It's fine Hanabi-chan, at ease." And she did so. "So, I assume that you are here to take a mission too?" he asked, receiving a nod of reply.

"You are right Hokage-sama." Again, the Hyuuga replied with a polite tone.

"Tch, you're just showing off your other side you two faced little gi-GAH!" Konohamaru was suddenly on the ground clutching his stomach in pain.

"Please ignore this…"

"Why are you hesitating there you mons-BWAAH!"

"Anyway, I have taken more of your time, see you later Hokage-sama." Then, her personality switched again. "Oi, trash, come on."

Naruto have to restrain himself from laughing. If Konohamaru and Hanabi were to end up together, he'd be so whipped. Then, he remembered. The laughter, the troubles, the sadness, the happiness… all of them are—were shared by two people who had sworn to be together in life until death does them apart.

Konohamaru, noticing Naruto's quiet state, wondered. "Hm? What's wrong, Nii-san?"

Immediately, the blonde Kage was snapped out from his thoughts. His grin returned, appearing as bright as before. "Nah, nothing that you have to worry about. Just some… unfinished business." Was his reason to Konohamaru.

However, the young Sarutobi knew that his elder brother figure was hiding something. But knowing the man, he decided not to pry much. "Okay then, see you later Nii-san! Come on shorty, let's- GAH! WHY'D YOU HIT ME FOR?!" the two teenagers disappeared from the blonde's sight, entering the building behind him.

Naruto stood alone, just like he always had. But a gentle summer's breeze went pass him, soothing him in a refreshing yet warm feeling. Naruto turned his head towards the direction where the wind went, his eyes soon trailing skywards. Red and blue eyes stared at the infinite, boundless sky. The Hokage stood unmoving, as if he was looking at a view that has affected him greatly. From people's view, it might seem that he is thinking of something. But in truth, he isn't.

Because he isn't thinking. He's talking right now.

"You're here aren't you…?"

"Shion."

Just like always, the wind carries his question to someone who is always watching over him.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha watched with vigilant eyes. A pair of blue and purple, a rare mix because one of them weren't even his to begin with. Through masked eyes, his vision isn't hindered in the slightest. From a high vantage point, he has a clear view of the area in front of him. He is like a hawk soaring in the sky, looking down to memorize and replicate the scenery photographically. Fortunately, he is all too familiar, so there's no need to memorize anymore. Since this is the village he's currently looking at.

As always, the village is peaceful. No more conflicts, no more incidents, no more invasions. The Fourth Great War had a lot of effect in the Elemental Nation, since most of the fighting was done in Kumo, they suffered the most. The Raikage was forced to keep his village into isolation just for the sake of rebuilding lost territory and grounds. The remaining four Kages send their own ninjas to help with this matter and it has stabilized the relationship between all the villages.

Konoha was no better. Recently, even if the attack of Pein from the Akatsuki fatal, Konoha is still suffering from the lost of a great number of Shinobi. Both strong and weak. No—perhaps there is no 'weak' in shinobi. But it is still a fact that Konoha has suffered more loss in terms of manpower instead of land. Mizugakure and Iwagakure, also Sunagakure are stable. However, it does not help because they too suffered in terms of financial status. Suna, Mizu and Iwa provided most of the raw materials to build the weaponries and armories. Especially Iwa, but their matter has come to an end not long ago.

In short, all the five major villages are still healing, with each suffering from lost that are far greater than anyone could've imagined. Even until now, some scars were left behind. Is this what Naruto envisioned? His ideology of peace, is this it? Is this the Konoha that his brother wants to protect? Probably, but there is one thing for sure…

This is not the Konoha that he once knew, it has changed.

Sasuke disappeared from the roof he was in via Kamui. He reappeared on another roof, this time on a lower level than the previous one. He has to thank the convenience of using Kamui, the blonde got his Hiraishin and he got his Kamui. Seems like a fair thing. Ever since they both share each other's powers, things have been hell. Literal hell. On the day after he received half of Naruto's Yang chakra, his body couldn't even handle the power one bit. He remembered screaming like a madman from the pain alone. This now means that he has both Yin and Yang chakra in him, just like the Sage of the Six Paths once had.

But Naruto… he has Yin chakra to begin with. But what makes his and Naruto's Yin chakra different, is that his is more concentrated than Naruto's. And since he is used to using Yin chakra instead of Yang, it's easier for him to use Kamui instead of opening dimensions like Kaguya could do. Naruto can do both easily. Why? Because he has been nourished, soaked, trained in using Yin chakra ever since then. The chakra of the Kyuubi in him… it both contains the Yin and Yang chakra, after the Fourth Hokage has given the Yin half to Naruto.

Long story short, he is Yin-Yang while Naruto is Yin-Yang to the power of two. Also, meaning, Naruto had a harder time dealing with the after effects than he did. He can't and will not imagine what did the blonde had to go through during the first few weeks of their exchange. He shuddered at the thought alone. Sasuke removed the porcelain mask from his face, showing purple and blue eyes for the world to see. Then he looked up, he caught sight of a hawk flying in circle just right above him.

"… What does the dobe want now…" without saying much, Sasuke disappeared into a swirl of nothingness.

Reappearing, he find himself staring beyond the gates of Konohagakure no Sato. He used Kamui to appear at Naruto's location. "You're here." Sasuke looked to his right side, where his rival is standing in his Hokage's robes. The robe is styled into a haori, similar in fashion to the one that the Fourth wore during his reign. The characters on the back spell 'Rokudaime Hokage' meaning the Sixth Hokage of Konoha. On the blonde's head is his Kage hat, with the Kanji of 'Fire' printed in red right at the middle. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at one particular feature that his blonde friend possessed. He is covering his face with a white turban, but only Sunagakure's Kage, the Kazekage does that.

"Don't speak. Listen to what Ran has to say." Looking to his left, the blonde cap wearing woman is indeed there. She is dressed in the same dress that she wore three days ago. Sasuke thought that it was strange for him to not feel Ran's presence, but maybe it was him not concentrating on things.

Naruto himself wasn't quite expecting something like this. For the ambassador herself, who have been reported earlier this morning to be missing, to request of his presence at the main gate. He was about to catch some Zs in his office…

"Thank you very much Hokage-dono." Ran did a small bow to express gratitude. "The reason why I request for your presence here is because, my master has arrived."

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

Sasuke grew interested.

The two of them turned towards the gate at the same time, where they saw a group of silhouette approaching their direction from the distance. Sasuke placed his mask back on his face, hiding his face completely. Naruto crossed his arms, preparing himself mentally as well as physically. The appeasing party is here… now all that's left is to…

Start the meeting.

* * *

**A/N: Whew… that was… long. This was quite rushed if I may say so myself, because in all honesty, I'm just too excited to show ya'll the part where Naruto and Co start to kick some butts. **

**Le gasp, the reason for all of this, what is it? There is war happening outside of the boundary? Timeline decided? **

**It seems that Yukari has her own reason to seek Konoha for help… just what is it exactly? Is it as she'd just said, is it for the good of Gensokyo? For its benefits? Now this will be a hard part to write…**

**Shion? Wasn't expecting that now weren't you? Now, before ya'll start to shoot me with the flames, I have a very important reason for this. It will be a major event in future chapters and more will be revealed. **

**I know that I have done poorly on this chapter but I assure you guys, I. Will. Improve. I definitely will. I am still studying English and is using this, writing fictions, as a way of improving, learning my errors in more relaxed way. I'm taking my lessons of course, and I will definitely use that opportunity too. **

**Oh and speaking of opportunity, and if you are willing to help me, you could PM me and suggest what type of romance/love category that you guys enjoy. This is for my Good end theatre project so please do note. **

**Anyway… that is all that I have to say and may ya'll have a good day/night!**


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